New books!

I recently got back from Perú where I attended the Congreso Internacional de Medicinas Tradiconales, Interculturalidad, y Salud Mental. I put a couple of days away during the trip to visit the library of the CAAAP - Centro Amazónico de Antropología y Aplicación Práctica in Lima. I was looking for some hard to find books that I knew were there. Unfortunately the first day the Xerox machine was out of order, and the second day the Xerox was fixed, but the librarian was out of order (sick at home).

So I bought a bunch of their publications instead. Here's a partial list:

Buscando Nuestras Raices – Cosmovisión Chayahuita. This is a *very* special book. In anthropology you usually get books written by people who spent a few months -a few years at most- living with a certain group, and then incorporate what they observed inside some sort of theoretical fame. This book is different in every way: It was collected by a María Dolores García Tomás, a nun who has spent most of her life with the Chayahuitas. It represents an encyclopedic compilation of Chayahuita songs, legends, myths and history. A true work of love, the materials are left to speak for themselves, there is no theoretical interpretations. The oral traditions were recorded and transcribed, first in Chayahuita language, then there is a direct word by word translation (which will make you appreciate what a strange grammar it has) finally there is a liberal translation into Spanish. The transcripts are accompanied by drawings made by Chayahuita youths. It was thanks to this book that I discovered that Icaros are not restricted to ayahuasca. There’s icaros for everything! For a girl’s first menstruation, for the newlyweds first day, for cleaning out the chacra. Everything is contained within the songs; they are a moral code, pedagogy, a history. I was truly moved by some of these transcriptions, reading them was like watching a culture open up before me. Unfortunately I only have 2 of the 7 volumes, and the series is long out of print.

El aprendizaje de las plantas - Germán Zulaga. We recorded a fantastic interview with Dr. Zuluaga during the conference. His curriculum is too long to list here; I'll just say that he’s been building bridges between western and indigenous medicines for more than 20 years, while keeping some of the highest ethical standards I’ve ever encountered in this field. That man is the anti-appropriator, I became an instant fan. He´s president of CEMI, they do a lot of good work. I will write more about him soon.

Duik Muun – A bilingual compilation of Aguaruna myths and legends, with drawings and some exercises. Published 30 years ago, it looks like it was conceived as a textbook for Aguaruna youths.

El poder del amor, poder, conocimiento y moralidad entre los Amuesha de la selva central del Perú. Fernando Santos Granero. A study about one of the few Amazonian societies who have priesthood, who in turn choose the military leaders. With that structure in place what’s remarkable is the fact that they didn’t develop the kind of centralist and authoritarian character of the Andes societies. The reason for this is in the form in which power is exercised, hence the name of the book: the power of love. I’ve read a bit here and there, looks very interesting.

Tanteo puntun chaykuna valen. Las cosas valen cuando están en su punto de equilibrio – Ciprian Phuturi Suni. A bilingual transcription of the life story of the oldest man in Willoq, a community in Ollantaytambo (Cusco). Again, I’ve only skimmed it, but so far it is a really beautiful text (and I don’t say this lightly), the language is simply astounding.

Sueños Amazónicos. Un programa de salud indígena en la selva peruana. The book (which can be bought in English here) describes an ongoing project to establish an community health system based on traditional medicine. Organized by AIDESEP (whose leaders are now infamously in exile) and the Danish NGO Noreco, the book is a choral work that collects the testimonies of organizers, curanderos, nurses, and doctors. All I can say is that I learned a lot, A LOT, from this book. Well worth it. IMHO every westerner dreaming of going deep in the jungle to find a maestro shaman should be forced to read this book first, at least they´d get an idea what those communities are really like, and the kind of day to day problems a real indigenous curandero faces.
The project is now in its 15th year. Here is a documentary about the first graduated class of indigenous intercultural health promoters.

Ver, Saber, Poder – Jean Pierre Chaumeil. I’d been after this book for a number years, as it is often cited in the bibliographies of other books. All I know is that it’s about Yagua shamanism.

Los Dueños de los Astros Ajenos – Percy Vilchez Vela. I don´t quite know what to make of this book, seems ambitious, a part-essay part-novel review of the last 400 years of Amazonian colonization

Pensar en el Otro, entre los Huni Kuin de la Amazonía Peruana - Patrick Deshayes. I was familiar with Deshayes because he directed a documentary about the Barquinha ayahuasca church in Rio Branco (The doc can be seen in its entirety here) The book is about the Huni Kuin, of whom I´ve posted before, and will post again as soon as I finish it.

Yachag Sami Yachchina – Alfonso chango. Illustrated shamanic lore. Here´s an example ->

Schiwiar, identidad étinca y cambio en el río Corrientes – Charlotte Seymour Smith. The Schiwar are a jibaroan group living near the Ecuador border. That is all I have read do far.

¡Zamba, pégale tres golpes a la piedra! Testimonio personal en una mesa curandera - Mabel Sarco. As the title says, a personal testimony of Andean curanderismo.

Cocaina, fiebre del oro blanco en Perú – Eduardo Morales. A scholarly, but readable, first-hand description of the process of coca production, one of those books that really make you understand.

El tigre y la anaconda. Another bilingual collection (this time Shuar) of oral traditions for the purpose of teaching the young. You know with a name like it has to touch on shamanism, and indeed it does. Published by the Abya Yala powerhouse, (although my view of their output has changed somewhat after reading I am Tsunki I’ll have to post about that one day.)

Additionally I there´s a book about cuy curanderismo, another book about Chayahuitas that I can´t find right now, a new compilation by Bia Labate, a short history of pre-Columbian Ecuador, and El primer Mestizaje, which apparently holds "the key to understanding the Mesoamerican past"... i don´t want to doubt, but that is a bold statement.

Looks like my reading is set 'till the winter!

For those interested in visiting the CAAP library it opens
mon-fri 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. and 2: 00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Av. Gonzales Prada 626,
Magdalena del Mar
Telf.: 461 5223, 460 0763- Anexo. 205, 209

The other great library in Lima is at the Instituto Francés de Estudios Andinos they have amazing stuff, such as this (notice the year!)
mon-fri 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. and 2: 00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Avenida Arequipa 4595 2º Piso
Teléfono 511 243-6090

Writers and Ayahuasca 1: William Burroughs

In the last post I wrote about what might have been the first Ayahuasca documentary of all times. A recently unearthed rarity, narrated by none other than William Burroughs. Searching for more info on the elusive film led me by Google serendipity to Peruvian author Carlos Calderón Fajardo, who wrote a book about Borroughs second visit to Perú in 1993. Burroughs first visit, in 1953, was looking for ayahuasca, and turned into the famous Yaje Letters (newly edited and much expanded here). Burroughs had launched into his search for Yage ("the ultimate fix") after a hasty escape from Mexico where he had been sentenced for the bizarre shooting of his wife.



The Yage Letters is probably the all-time best-known literary account of Ayahuasca. The South America Burroughs describes is a corrupt, violent place, full of poverty and misery, and although all of those things were true (and some are still true to this date) one feels Burroughs' tastes for the seedy underground of drug and juvenile delinquents kept him from ever seeing a broader picture.



Re-reading The Yage Letters I felt as if Burroughs never really met anybody beyond the foreigners (he despised) and his casual sexual encounters with young men (that kept on robbing him) It struck me that he never seemed to experience what is wonderful not just about Yaje, but also about South America.

"When I started looking for Yage I was thinking along the line the medicine men have secrets the whites don´t know about. Most of these secrets turn out to be a con the Brujo puts down on the public so he can preserve a semblance of monopoly and everybody won't start brewing up the same mess in his own pot. Every Indian and most whites in the Amazon region from Colombia to Bolivia and on out to the Atlantic knows the Yage vine. The Brujos say they are the only ones competent to prepare it, two other secret plants must be cooked in the mixture, the Brujo has to croon over it and spit in it and shake a whisk broom over, otherwise the Yage is nowhere. And if a woman catches even a glimpse of these proceedings the Yage curdles on the spot and turns poison[ous]
The fact is Yage is Yage and anyone can prepare it in an hour or he has enough of the Yage vine. [...] The final result is 2 ounces more or less of black oily liquid. That is a dangerously strong dose — half the lethal dose — but it is standard in that area and it would not occur to them to take less or to take amount slowly. Indians are like that. They have a set way of doing things which they consider of its nature immutable."

It doesn´t occur the Burroughs that many people, knowing how to prepare ayahuasca, could choose not to do it by themselves, but do it instead under the care of a professional...

The first time Burroughs drinks he has a horrible time, distressed, he runs out of the maloca to throw up, he refuses the help of the curandero when it´s offered, and instead, he gulps down 5 Nenbutals to come down (these were the famous sleeping pills that Marylin Monroe used to kill herself.) After that Burroughs splits up from Schultes expedition, cooks his own batch of Ayahuasca and continues to drink by himself, as by now he believes that "the most inveterate drunk, liar and loafer of the village is invariably the medicine man"

Re-reading the Yage Letters I was constantly struck by the idea that Burroughs just didn´t get it, didn´t get South America, didn´t get Yage, didn´t get curanderismo. It´s as if he missed an entire set of experiences that will be familiar to most people who have spent some time in the Amazon drinking ayahuasca. I´m talking about simple things, such as experiencing the hospitality of strangers that turn into friends, and spending lazy evenings with them and their families... Nothing fancy or exotic, just basic human relations, which -in my own experience- can be one of the most rewarding things about traveling trough South America.

What Burroughs got out of Yage, many agree, was the basis of the "composite city" and the nightmarish worlds he'd later describe in the Naked Lunch.


Burroughs and Gisnberg

7 years later poet Allen Ginsberg followed Burroughs footsteps in search of Yage. He traveled to Pucallpa, where he describes an experience that seems much more familiar to modern Ayahuasca drinkers. He drinks in group, where -in spite of having a hard time- he feels well taken care of.

"Realization (over again) that the world is so illusory that what can be communicated, said, writ, in terms of human consciousness bears no relation to the Great Being who is complete in Itself and so perfect that no complaint need be made [.....] God cannot favor us over the mosquitoes without murdering & starving mosquitoes - So he lets us fight it out outside himself in chaos of Illusion, always retaining the Final Great Black Hole of Love to which we can return when we have been defeated or become tired of being separate individuals in creations [....]
Had laid out for long time [....] & Ramon had got up & told me to wrap myself in his mantle to protect form mosquitoes. A very kind gesture, I felt he realized I too had climbed up thu the Nose of God into Being the Same as Ramon - that we were all one, and this was a kindly gesture (wrought from afar by god) to protect me in my as yet delicate individuality - Later I went in the house, where they were (4 of them having drunk) sensing a great feeling of communal fraternity & sharing of realization of Infinite Intimacy - one old fellow on a bench, an albañil, moved over & motioned me welcome to to join him next to him to sit down. I saw that in Pucallpa they had their own secret transcendental nosy society, underneath very humane, in huts"

City Lights published The Yage Letters In 1963 (as well as Miserable Miracle, -what a title!- about Heri Michaux Peyote experiences.) That same year (1963) the Merry Pranksters embarked of the famous bus tour. Up to that point the main book about entheogens had been The Doors of Peception by Aldous Huxley about his mescaline experiences.

And whereas Wasson 1957 Life article about magic mushrooms sent seekers by the hundreds to the Oaxaca mountains, and Castaneda's 1972 books sent waves of hippies to the Yaqui and then (disappointed at the lack of entheogens) to the Huicholes. It seems like the number of anglo seekers who decided to search for Yage during the 60's/70's is so small as to be negligible (either that or they left almost no literature). My theory is that Burroughs' less-than-appealing tale overshadowed Ginsberg´s perhaps more "standard" account. Many people in the 60´s had heard of Ayahuasca (or Yage) but thanks to Burroughs they never felt like seeking it out.

And who knows, seeing how things played out in Huatla for María Sabina and her family, maybe it was better that way?

The first ayahuasca documentary, narrated by Willam Burroughs?

[Texto en español debajo del video]

Drifting in YouTube I found this jewel below, a documentary about ayahuasca narrated by none other than William Burroughs. I had no idea this film existed, nor could I find any info about on the net. It's not mentioned by the all-knowing imdb or any of the numerous and extensive Burroughs bibliographies arround.

Asking the Burroughs experts at RealityStudio I found out that the documentary was most likely directed by Rodrigo Salomon, director of the Salomon Arts gallery. I emailed to both Salomon Arts and the person who posted the video in YouTube, but got no answer.

I´ve written before about Nora de Izcue, in 1971 she directed what I suspected was the first Ayahuasca documentary ever. When a friend of her who read the post contacted me I got to meet Nora. On my next trip to Perú, I interviewed her in her house in Lima. She was a delightful host and a most interesting woman. It was one of those times I was really glad to write a blog.

I suspect, however, that this documentary might be older, making it the first Ayahausca documentary (!) Many questions remain unanswered: What year it was filmed? By whom? Where in Colombia? How did it came to be? Was it ever released? etc. There seem to be no records of it. It´s as if the film just materialized after sitting in a can for the past 40 years, so I suspect there must be an interesting story behind it. I will keep you posted if I find anything else.



Navegando a la deriva en YouTube encontré esta joya, un documental sobre ayahuasca narrado nada menos que por William Burroughs. No tenía ni idea de que esta película existiera, tampoco fui capaz de encontrar referencia alguna en Internet. IMDB, que lo sabe todo, no la menciona, ni tampoco las numerosas, y completísimas, bibliografías de Burroughs que hay.

Preguntando a los expertos en RealityStudio supe que, probablemente, el documental fue dirigido por Rodrigo Salomon, director de la Galería Salomon Arts en Nueva York. Escribí emails a Salomon Arts, así como a la persona que subió el vídeo a YoutTube. Ninguno respondió.

Hace algún tiempo escribí sobre Nora de Izcue. En 1971 dirigió lo que yo supuse era el primer documental sobre ayahuasca de la historia. Una amiga suya leyó el post y me contactó. Meses después pude conocer a Nora en persona y grabar una entrevista en su casa en Lima. Fue una tarde muy agradable con una persona fascinante, y una de esas veces que uno se alegra de molestarse en escribir un blog.

Sin embargo sospecho que este documental puede ser más antiguo, quizás el primer documental sobre ayahuasca de la historia. Quedan aún muchas preguntas por responder. ¿Qué año se grabó? ¿Por qué? ¿En qué zona de Colombia? ¿Por qué no existen registros de su existencia? Es como si el documental hubiera estado oculto en un cajón durante 40 años, así que sospecho que detrás debe haber una historia interesante...

Huni Kuin, Ayahuasca & Santo Daime

(texto en español debajo del video)

In my very first post in this blog I talked about the great distance that separates Brazilian drinkers from the vegetalista and curandero traditions at the origin their of ayahuasca use. Generally speaking vegetalistas in Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, etc know nothing about the ayahuasca churches, and vice versa. This seems to be slowly changing, starting in the very area where the two traditions began to separate, in Acre, where the Santo Daime was founded.

Here´s the information I've picked here and there:

1 - A quote from a recent discussion in a mailing list I suscribe to (pesquisadores da ayahuasca)

For your information, today there is, al least, one village where pajé Ninawá --in addition to his traditional shamanic practice (pajelanças)--- leads travalhos in a salon (Daime works) with farda (Daime uniform) and guitar, singuing hymms in portuguese and in his language. This village is in Rio Jordao (Huni Kuin reserve)

2 - This blog, tells of the visits of a Huni Kuin (the tribe is also known as Kaxinawa, but for them this is a derrogatory term) Pajé to several Santo Daime centers, including Alto Santo, as well as the UDV. Courtesy of Eduardo Bayer.

3 - Here´s a book about a bilingual school among the Huni Kuin in the river Humaitá. In the introduction Bia Labate says

"[the book] also talks about the entrance of the Santo Daime in the village, in a "re-indigenised" version (BTW as many might know, its been some years since the Huni Kuin began to leave their villages to promote ayahuasca sessions in large urban centers such as Jio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo -- This expansion is altering a bit the simbolic cartography of the brazilian ayahuasca field as well as its notions of "authenticity" and "tradition" since the Huni Kuin reivindicate the ancestral origin of their ayahuasca use to those urban audiences"

4 - Here's the blog of another Huni Kuin pajé, living in Sao Paulo, on the sidebar you cand find recordings of quite interesting Huni Kuin ayahuasca songs.

5 - Here´s a part of a documentary about Huni Kuin ayahuasca songs (Fantastics stuff! Shot by the NGO Video nas Aldeias. You can see the the whole documentary or download a high quality copy here). On this clip they are gathering "monkey ayahuasca" "first it brings a yellow light"



6 - In this school they are relearning the tradions that they had to forget as seringueiros. The teacher says "you´ve learned to read, now you must learn to dance"



(texto español)

El primer vídeo es parte de un documental sobre las canciones de ayahuasca de los Huni Kuin (se puede ver entero, o descargar, aqui). El segundo vídeo es de un escuela Huni Kuin donde enseñan "lo que tuvieron que olvidar al trabajar como seringueiros." El profesor dice "ya has aprendido a leer, ahora debes aprender a bailar"

En el mi primer post en este blog (en inglés) hablaba de la distancia que separa los bebedores de ayahuasca Brasileños de las tradiciones vegetalista y curanderil en el origen de uso de la ayahuasca. En general los vegetalistas en Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, etc. no saben nada de las iglesias de la ayahuasca, y vice versa. Parece esto va cambiando poco a poco, y está comenzado en el estado de Acre (brazil), el mismo lugar donde las dos tradiciones comenzaron a separarse.

Un resumen de la información que he ido encontrando:

1 - Una cita de una lista de correo (pesquisadores da ayahuasca) en la que participo

"Para tu información, hoy existe por lo menos una aldea donde un pajé dirige -además de sus practicas shamanicas tradicionales- trabajos dentro de una sala (estilo Santo Daime), con farda (uniforme del Daime) y guitarra, cantando himnos en portugués y en su lengua. Esta aldea se encuentra en Rio Jordao" (reserva natural Kaxianawa)

2 - Este blog, describe las visitas de un pajé (chamán) Huni Kuin (el termino Kaxinawa se considera derrogatorio) a varios centros del Santo Daime, incluido Alto Santo, así com al UDV. Via Eduardo Bayer.

3 - Aquí un libro sobre los Huni Kuin del rio Humaitá. En la introducción Bia Labate dice:

"[el libro] también habla del tema de la ayahuasca, narrando un poco la entrada del Santo Daime, en un a versión "reindigenizada" (Por cierto, hace algunos años que los indios Huin Kuin comenzaron a salir de sus aldeas para promover sesiones de ayahuasca en grandes centros urbano como Rio de Janeiro y Sao Paulo -- esta expansión está alterando un poco la cartografía simbólica del campo ayahuasquero brasileño, y sus nociones de "autenticidad" y "tradición", ya que los Huni Kuin reivindican junto a este público urbano la ancestralidad de su consumo de ayahuasca.)"

4 - Aquí está el blog de otro pajé Huni Kuin, que vive en Sao Paulo. En el lateral de la página hay algunas grabaciones muy interesantes de cantos de ayahuasca Huni Kuin.

Somos bilingues - Now in 2 languages

(second paragraph in English)

Durante un tiempo pensé en hacer un blog separado en español, pero nunca empiezo, así que he decidido juntarlo todo, al estilo de mi admirado Alto das Estrelas. Aquí los post en inglés, aquí en español

For a while I though of having a separate blog for all the stuff I was too lazy to translate, but I decided against it. It will all be together. Here are the post in English, here in Spansih

El descubrimiento de la Ayahuasca por occidente

Los occidentales obviamente no "descubrimos" la Ayahuasca. Todo lo contrario ;-). En biblioteca virtual Luis Ángel Arango en Colombia hay un excelente resumen de la historia de cómo nos enteramos de su existencia. Sirva de primer post en español para el blog.

"MALPIGHIÁCEAS


196 -- |Banisteriopsis spp..

|Yajé, yojé y variantes, en las partes media y alta de los afluentes del Amazonas, del Caquetá, al Marañón.

|Cabí, capí o |caapi, en el Amazonas brasileño (Duche, 1946, 5, 6). La última forma sería puramente literaria, y no usada por la gente de la región que nunca duplica la a (Ducke, 1958, 4-5). |Kapij pertenecería al dialecto tariana (Barbosa Rodrigues, 1893, 54).

|Natema, en jíbaro (véase adelante).

|Ayahuasca; ayawáskha; hayahuasca; hayaguasca; hayacwaska, del quechua. En los cuatro primeros casos equivaldría a |bejuco de muerto; en el último, a |bejuco amargo, que parece ser lo más acertado (Tessmann, 1930, 242; Espinosa Pérez, 1935, 186; -----, 1955, I, 453; Lira, 1945, 75; 237-238).

|Nepi, nepe, en campaz o colorado (costa ecuatoriana) (Jijón y Caamaño, 1941, II, 156, 254). Quizá de aquí se ha derivado |dapa, nombre que le dan a dicho bejuco los cholos del |Saija, en la costa colombiana.

|Pildé, pindé, en la costa del Pacífico de Colombia y en parte de la del Ecuador (véase adelante).

Otros nombres indígenas abajo.

El misionero franciscano Laureano Montesdeoca de la Cruz, en el relato (1647) de un viaje suyo a 1 a comarca que habitaban los indios encabellados, o sea en el Napo abajo de la confluen cia del Aguarico, viaje realizado en 1637, anota: "Aunque beben de sus vinos y de unas aguas que cuecen de unas raíces, no se embriagan, ni tal cosa vimos en el tiempo que allí estuvimos" (Compte, 1885, I, 159; Montesdeoca, 1942, 14).

El jesuíta Juan Lorenzo Lucero, en una carta en que relata sus aventuras y observaciones durante una entrada hecha al país de los jíbaros en 1682, se extiende sobre la manera como actuaban los brujos o piaches, elementos que más enemistad y oposición despertaban entre los misioneros. Señala que tenían chozas apartadas donde, para el ejercicio de su actividad, usaban varias prácticas, una de las cuales consistía en "beber el zumo de varias yerbas, cuyo natural efecto es embriagar al hombre con tanto vahído de cabeza, que está del todo y tan por los suelos, que bien se le hace la humildad de la ermita en que vive, adora y consulta al que tiene por trono, en pena de su soberbia, la yerta calavera de un embaidor" (J. de la Espada, 1889, Mar., 626). Enrevesada noticia que --si bien puede aplicarse a |Datura (véase) --no excluye a |Banisteriopsis. El cofrade de Lucero, Juan Magnin, en 1740, sí menciona taxativamente la AYAHUASSA (así) entre los remedios usados por los maynas, sin concederle particular atención (Magnin: RI, 1940, I, 164).

Pero su contemporáneo y cofrade Pablo Maroni, quien escribía en 1737, hablando también de los piaches o brujos, es más concreto: "Para adivinar, usan beber el zumo [del borrachero, nu meral 209J...; otros de un bejuco que se llama vulgarmente AYAHUASCA, ambos muy eficaces para privar de los sentidos, y aun de la vida, cargando la mano (Deste usan también a veces para curarse de enfermedades habituales, principalmente los dolores de cabeza). Bébele, pues, el que quiere adivinar, con ciertas ceremonias, y estando privado de los sentidos boca abajo, para que no lo ahogue la fuerza de la hierba, se está así muchas horas y a veces aun los dos y tres días, hasta que haga su curso y se acabe la embriaguez". En seguida describe los resultados obtenidos (J. de la Espada, 1889, Mar., 125-126). Como se ve, Maroni mezcla los síntomas de la embriaguez producida por las dos plantas de que ha hablado, el |Datura y el ayahuasca.

No siempre los datos de la época colonial son tan concretos. El jesuíta Manuel de Uriarte, en una carta escrita el 4 de noviembre de 1754 a su hermana María Francisca, de la orden de Santo Domingo, a Vitoria, España, le dice a propósito de los indígenas que vivían en Tururí, río Coca, tres días abajo de la confluencia con el Napo: "nunca se emborrachan del todo [con sus bebidas fermentadas de yuca y plátano], aunque beben tanto, sino con una raíz o corteza que llaman Yoco, que toman cuando quieren matar a alguno" (Jesuítas, 1942, Bog., 66). Es evidente que este dato debe atribuirse al YAGÉ y no al Yoco (véase numeral 199), que es estimulante y no narcótico. Nótese de paso la similitud de la observación con la del franciscano Montesdeoca de la Cruz citada en primer término, más de un siglo anterior. En otra obra del mismo Uriarte, en una referencia correspondiente a 1753, se habla del "cocó, una raíz motora de borracheras" (Uriarte, 1952, I, 89). Un cofrade contemporáneo menciona también el uso del HAYAC HUASCA por las tribus del Marañón (Veigl: Murr, 1785, 189; -----, 1789, 11 (XVII), 55-56; 138).

Esto no es extraño, pues en tiempos más recientes, la palabra YAGÉ ha sido confundida con otras similares, bien por diferencias dialectales de acuerdo con el lugar en que se hizo la observación, bien por la distinta notación fonética de los autores, o ya por errores de transcripción o de imprenta. Muchas veces viajeros apresurados --especialmente del grupo de los sensacionalistas --anotan informes suministrados a la ligera, sin tener oportunidad de observar por sí mismos las costumbres.

Bajo el nombre de YOJÉ menciona el cura José María Albis, quien en 1854 hizo un viaje por los ríos Mecaya, Senseya y Caneaya, afluentes del Caquetá, donde moraban los macaguajes, un bejuco con el cual los brujos o piaches hacían una infusión para tomar por costumbre, cuyos efectos eran similares a los de la tonga o borrachero: "i a favor del alucinamiento producido por este magnetismo vegetal, creen ver cosas desconocidas i adivinan el porvenir". Pero con este bejuco considerado venenoso, tomado en infusión en pequeñas cantidades, se curaban los dolores de huesos (Albis: POPAYAN, 1936, 31; 32).

Más lamentable, por la época, es la confusión en que incurrió Rafael Reyes. En el relato de su primera exploración de Pasto al Amazonas (1901?) consigna que en Putumayo los pagés o brujos indígenas se embriagaban con el jugo de una planta narcótica llamada Yoco (Reyes, 1920, 455; Castellví: CILEAC, 1946-1950, IV, 24-27).

Las noticias de los misioneros franciscanos y jesuítas, así como el informe de Albis, tuvieron poca difusión. No aparecen detalles en esta época, anterior a la mitad del siglo XIX, sobre el procedimiento seguido por los indígenas para preparar la bebida alucinatoria. El carácter ritual o supersticioso del uso, confinado a ciertas circunstancias de la vida o a ciertos elementos del conglomerado social (los brujos en primer término); la misma índole semimdgica de las alucinaciones o visiones producidas, todo conspiraba para que la costumbre no pudiera ser cabalmente sabida y entendida por los blancos, sacerdotes o laicos. Qué mucho, si todavía ahora no se conocen exactamente ni la identidad botánica de algunas de las plantas que se han solido denominar con el nombre de yagé, ni se sabe si se le mezclan a la preparación otras sustancias.



Casi simultáneamente, varios viajeros en el área amazónica al promediar el siglo XIX, dieron informes sobre el uso de esta planta alucinatoria. Uno fue el mencionado cura José María Albis (véase atrás). En la cuenca del río Negro, y concretamente en- el Vaupés, lo observaron con. diferencia de pocos meses en 1851-1852 dos científicos ingleses (Wallace, 1939, 381-382; 620-621; Spruce, 1908, 1, 325, 332; 11, 414-425).

El geógrafo Villavicencio y el mismo Spruce observaron la costumbre en el orienie ecuatoriano, el primero entre los záparos, santa-marías, mazares y anguteros (Villavicencio, 1858, 371-373), y el segundo en el área entre el Ucayali y el Marañón por el flanco cordillerano.

Hasta donde puede saberse por los escasos datos seguros que hay sobre la materia, el uso del yajé obedeció a variaciones locales, según las tribus. Parece que en la mayoría de ellas sólo les era permitido a los pioches y a los adultos en ciertas circunstancias, vedándose a las mueres y a los niños (Villavicencio, op. cit., 373). Los cocamos que hasta hace pocos años tomaban JAÚMA, pues así le llaman, lo hacían antes como preparativo de expediciones guerreras, con participación en la bebida de todos los varones, "aun los jóvenes y muchachos de alguna edad" (Espinosa, 1935, 136-137). Este mismo autor dice haber observado la costumbre entre los piojés del Napo en forma colectiva, "con el aparato y misterio de un acto social de culto" (Ibid., 148).

Los estudios más completos sobre el uso del yagé, por testigos presenciales de la preparación y de los efectos, durante un tiempo suficientemente prolongado para que sus observaciones tengan cierta garantía de certeza, son los de Reinburg (1921) y de Rafael Karsten (1912-1918; 1935). Como el primero hace énfasis en los efectos producidos, se discutirá adelante.

Para los jíbaros del Ecuador el NATEMA es planta mágica, así como la bebida que con ella se prepara (Karsten, 1935, 115; 381); lo mismo que para los canelos (Ibid., 391). Como tal, sólo los hombres la preparan, así como otras bebidas en que entran sustancias narcóticas (véase numeral 209) (Ibid., 115). En ocasiones especiales, la parafernalia se matiza con otras prácticas concomitantes, como tocar cierta clase de instrumentos musicales (lbid., 111, 437-438), o asociar la bebida con la pintura facial a base de achiote, que refuerza la protección (Ibid., 437) (véase capítulo XVI). A veces una estaca de yuca colocada en las vasijas en que se hierven el natema y el Datura, obra como talismán estimulante de la virtud de ambas bebidas y del tabaco (Ibid., 344). Las interdicciones y restricciones que se imponen los hombres para plantar el natema, pues a fuer de vegetal masculino sólo a ellos compete la siembra, forman parte del ambiente mágico que rodea ala planta; una de tales restricciones es la del comercio sexual (Ibid., 142, 217).

Participan en la bebida ambos sexos, pero en diferentes circunstancias de tiempo y Iugar Entre los hombres, el curandero toma yapé para prepararse cuando necesita conocer la enfermedad que aqueja a alguno y los medios de combatirla (Ibid., 436); cuando quiere conocer cómo debe defenderse de sus rivales de oficio o de sus enemigos; a simplemente para hechizar a alguno (Ibid., 437-438, 406-407). Asimismo, cuando el curandero se inicia en el oficio, en las ceremonias de investimiento, que duran varios días, bebe tabaco y natema cotidianamente (Ibid., 400, 404).

Los varones de la tribu, especialmente los guerreros, ingieren natema antes de expediciones de guerra o represalia, para saber qué suerte han de correr en ellas (Ibid., 260). Otra ocasión es la de la fiesta de la victoria.

Las mujeres la toman especialmente durante las ceremonias agrarias, supuesto que ellas son las sembradoras de plantas hembras, como la yuca, el maní y otras (Ibid., 125, 128; 435-436).

En el segundo día de la fiesta de la victoria, que por eso se llama natemá-umartinyu = bebezón de natema, todos los asistentes toman la bebida (Ibid., 343-346).

En la fiesta que dedican a los perros, les hacen tomar el yapé incluso a estos animales (Ibid., 170).

También varía la manera de preparar la bebida, de acuerda con el f in específico con que va a ser usada. Para la mencionada fiesta de la bebezón, sólo se hierven los componentes durante una hora. Todos, aún los muchachos, beben, esta vez en vasijas ornamentadas, hasta medio litro; vomitan, pues al principio obra como emétfco, y vuelven a tomar y vomitar por tres veces (Ibid., 345, 435-436, 438). Luego salen a soñar en ranchos separados de la casa (Ibid., 345-346).

Para ejercer su f unción de curandero, el piache toma yapé que ha hervido un día entero (Ibid., 413, 436), a fuego lento. Primero bebe, de noche, un poco de tabaco, invocando al espíritu de esta planta, y luego, el natema de un tirón (Ibid., 413-414); repite éste hasta cuatro veces, pues el objetivo es intoxicarse, provocando un estado de excitación durante el cual danza, y en el sueño que sigue puede conocer la causa de la enfermedad que debe curar (Ibid., 417, 418).

Asimismo, parece que hay diferencia si la parte utilizada es simplemente eI tallo o sólo la porción basal de éste; cercana a las raíces (Ibid., 343, 344; 433). Esto aclara algunas de las informaciones de misioneros, que se refieren a la "raíz".


Medicina.

La mayor parte de los que han escrito sobre yapé, se refieren solamente a las propiedades narcóticas y alucinantes de la bebida. Como siempre, las cos lumbres indígenas son mucho más complejas de lo que se suele suponer. El yagé se usa también como medicina, principalmente como vomitivo (Karsten, 1935, 345; 433; 436; 508), pero también contra las fiebres, en este caso mezclado con tabaco (Ibid., 507). Ya se dijo que los macaguajes a mediados del siglo XIX lo usaban para curar "dolores de huesos" (Albis, 1936, 32). Era la principal medicina al pie de los Andes (Spruce, 1908, II, 438). A un viajero le informaron en Umbría, Putumayo, que el yagé sólo, se usaba para malaria con resultados seguros (Morton, 1931, 488). Otros informes sobre este aspecto se dieron atrás (Maroni: J. de la Espada, 1889, Mar., 125-126).


Composición.

Fueron investigadores colombianos los que primero estudiaron la composición química del yagé, desde principios del presente siglo. Los nombres de Zerda Bayón, Barriga Villalba y Fisher Cár denas están vinculados a esta empresa. Posteriormente, científicos de otros países han ensanchado el conocimiento sobre este alucinógeno. Se ha llegado a saber que la yageína es la misma harmina que se halla en otras plantas del Viejo Mundo, especialmente la |Peganum harmala L., de las Zigofiláceas, llamada ALHARMA en España (Font Quer, 1962, 423-424).

La dificultad de obtener material botánico completo y suficiente cantidad de tallos, hojas y raíces para análisis, ha demorado la identificación del completo de plantas que se conocen bajo el nombre general de yapé, y el estudio de sus componentes. Pero se va definiendo ahora que hay por Io menos dos principios diferentes, de acuerdo con la clase de planta usada. El yagé común y corriente, cultivado, que puede ser |Baniseriopsís inebríans Morton (Cuatrecasas, 1958, 511-512), o aun |B. caapí (Spruce) Morton (Ibid., 506-511), contendría harmina I y huellas de otro alcaloide que podría ser harmalina o methoxy-6-N-dimetyltryptamina; mientras que |B. rusbyana (Niedz.) Morton (Cuatrecasas, op. cit., 494), colectado como YAGEÚCO ú OCOYAGÉ (véase adelante), contendría una sola base, identificada como N-dimetyltryptamina II, señalada previamente en granas de varias especies de |Anadenanthera, que son también narcóticas (Poisson, 1965, 242; Friedberg, 1965, 421). Los efectos de estos distintos alcaloides son asimismo diferentes (Friedberg, op. cit., 432). Al mencionado en último lugar se le ha atribuido que produce lá visión azul (Morton, 1931, 487).


Cultivo.

El yagé es otro ejemplo de planta que mantiene en la misma área de origen la condición de silvestre y de cultivada. En repetidas ocasiones a lo largo de esta obra, con otras especies ame ricanas, se há llamado la atención sobre tal circunstancia y se ha tratado de explicarla.

En 1852, el botánico Spruce halló matas cultivadas aquí y allá, en las cercanías de la casa que habitaba el cacique tarianá Calixto, de Yavareté, en el Río Negro, donde es ahora lá frontera de Colombia-Venezuela y Brasil (Spruce, 1908, I, 325).

En 1920 los záparos de San Antonio de Curaray mantenían plantas de yagé sembradas cerca de sus viviendas (Reinburg: JSAP, 1921, XIII, 31; Pardal, 1937? 314).

Por esta misma época se conocía yagé sembrado en el río Cajambre y quizá en el Naya, costa del Pacífico del Valle del Cauca, de donde se llevaron matas para propagar en Cali (Rojas BEV, 1925, 95 y sigtes.). En la región del Naya se distinguen por la gente dos clases: "pildé negro", que sería el más efectivo, y "pildé blanco" (Información de Miguel Santos Mosquera). También del Caqueté se llevaron por esa época estacas y plantas a Cali (Rojas, op. cit., 103); luego lo había plantado allá, como se demuestra por otras fuentes (USNH: Pérez Arbeláez, 639, 1930, "yajé", Florencia; Hammerman: RBA, 1930, X, 602: Getucha).

Quizá como un relicto de las introducciones hechas a Cali, se colectó en 1942 en lá hacienda "Valparaíso", de Tuluá, por Cuatrecasas y Dryander, la muestra 14372: "bejuco cultivado, procedente del Caquetá" (USNH). De este material se llevó al bajo Calima en 1946 (Patiño, 1947, 22).

Hay que advertir también que del material llevado a Cali por 1923-1930, unas veces obtenido en la costa del Pacífico, otras en el Caquetá y otras en el Putumayo vía Nariño (Rojas, op. cit.), se envió parte a Francia y a Bélgica para estudios científicos. Una de estas muestras está mencionada en la literatura (Gagnepain RBA, 1930, X, 293), _Y en reciente publicación ha sido dada equivocadamente como del Cauca, Ecuador (Friedberg, 1965, 418).

El botánico Ducke cuenta que en 1929 obtuvo estacas de capí en una casa indígena donde lo tenían plantado, en el río Caricuriarí, afluente del Río Negro; primero las plantó en el Campo Experimental de Cachoeira Grande, suburbios de Mancos, y de allí llevó material al Jardín Botánico de Río de Janeiro en 1930 (Ducke, 1958, 1-2; USNH: Ducke, 153, 1936, "caapí", Manaos). En 1931, consiguió otras estacas de "ayahuasca" en Loreto, Perú, que también fueron llevadas posteriormente a Rio (Ibid., 1958, 2). Se cultiva cerca de Mancos, y más raramente en Belem del Pará (Ibid., 4).

Hay informes de un tipo de yapé cultivado en la parte limítrofe de Colombia y Perú en el Putumayo (Morton, 1931, 487; USNH: E. P. Killip y A. C. Smith 29486, 1929, "ayahuasca", San Antonio, río Itaya, Loreto; -----, 29825, 1929, "ayahuasca", Iquitos).

Entre 1914-1918 se conocían plantas de natema cultivadas por los jíbaros del oriente ecuatoriano (Karsten, 1935, 437). Queda dicho cómo, siendo una planta mágica considerada masculina, la siembran sólo los hombres, sometiéndose a un ritual complicado (Ibid., 124, 142; 217).

Con antecedencia se ha señalado el cultivo entre los colorados y cayapas de la costa ecuatoriana (Karsten, op. cit., 433). La botánica Inés Mejía colectó en 1934 la muestra 6636, de "nepe, ayahuasca", en la hacienda Santa María, del cantón Vinces, provincia de Los Ríos, Ecuador (USNH). Debió ser de esta zona donde los andariegos indígenas chocoes introdujeron un tipo de DAPA o PILDÉ a Ios ríos Sana y Naya y al Chocó, donde las referencias lo han señalado de tiempo en tiempo.

Los cofanes han cultivado yapé en el Putumayo y en su afluente el Sucumbíos, que constituye frontera entre Colombia y el Ecuador (USNH: Cuatrecasas 10599, 1940, "yapé", Puerto Porvenir, arriba de Puerto Ospina hacia La Loma; -----, 11061, 1940, río San Miguel, entre afluentes Bermeja y Conejo", "yajé").

Hernando García Barriga colectó la muestra 1441 S en 1952, con estos datos: "cají-idirekai" (makuna); "yapé", "kapi" (yukuna), en el río Apaporis, sitio Jino-Gojé, entre los ríos Piraparaná y Popeyacá (Amazonia-Vaupés ((USNH: Schultes, 1960, 173).



imagen original


FIG. 33. |Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce) Morton. Una de las plantas de "yagé". a), ramas con flor y fruto (x1/2); b), flor desprovista de periamo (x5); e.), gineceo (x5); d), detalle del ápice del estilo (x20). Reproducido de Cuatrecasas, 1958, pp. 508-509.


Varios.

En un principio se ha creído que el yapé se obtenía de una sola especie de planta, más bien vaga e indeterminada. A medida que se ha avanzado en el conocimiento del escenario geográfico y de las costumbres indígenas, se ha ido haciendo evidente que varias plantas se utilizan en el área amazónica para preparar una bebida narcótica, con la característica de suscitar clarividencia o anticipación de acontecimientos. Todavía ni la identidad botánica de algunas es conocida; pero ya se ha hablado de efectos diferentes o complementarios, según la especie utilizada o las plantas con que se haga mezcla.

De estas, es un poco mejor conocida -aunque no del todola clasificada como |Banisteriopsis rusbyana, que ya se sospechó fuera la que produce el color azul en las visiones, y se denomina en cierta área del Putumayo como OCO-YAGÉ O CHAGRO-PANGA (Morton, 1931, 487; USNH: C. Klug, 1971, 1931, Umbría, Putumayo). Con el nombre de YAGEúCO la colectó Cuatrecasas (N° 10597) en 1940, cultivada por los cofanes en Puerto Porvenir, arriba de Puerto Ospina, hacia La Loma, también en el Putumayo (USNH). Las hojas se adicionan al yagé para preparar la bebida. Nótese de paso la semejanza de los nombres OCO-YAGÉ y YAGEúCO, pues sólo hay unn trasposición de prefijos.

Quizá no otra cosa es el IAHI que le mezclaban los jíbaros al natema, cuando de hacer una curación se trataba (Karsten, 1935, 413). Pero del mismo yagé los canelos distinguen tres clases puma-ayahuasca, ahuiringri ayahuasca y tunchi ayahuasca; esta última es la especialmente usada por los brujos (Ibid., nota 432). Por desgracia, estas informaciones no fueron acompañadas con las colecciones botánicas pertinentes, y así, no se conoce su identidad.

También usan mezcla los sibundoyes, que obtienen el material necesario para hacerla, en las partes cálidas adyacentes, y llaman BIAJÚ o BIAJA a la bebida (Bristol: BML, 1966, 21, N° 5 113-140; 120, 129).

Pocas noticias fidedignas hay sobre el PILDÉ que habrían usado los chocoes de la costa colombiana del Pacífico (Wassén, 1935, 101-102). Cuando el autor llevó tallos del yagé cultivado en el Valle del Cauca, a la Estación Agroforestal del Calima, Buenaventura, en 1945-46 (Pestiño, 1947, 22), se le informó que esa planta era conocida por los "cholos" con los nombres de PILDÉ O PINDÉ. Mientras se revisaban los originales de este volumen, el autor tuvo oportunidad de entrar en contacto con indígenas choco es del río Saija, entre los cuales la planta es cultivada y parcialmente usada, bajo el nombre de DADA. Esos informes condujeron al hallazgo, con carácter espontáneo, de un |Banisteriopsis sp. en la cuenca del río Daqua, Valle del Cauca, que a veces se usa como narcótico."

copiado de aqui

Para los que estén insteresados en los nombres por los que las distintas culturas amazónicas llamaba a la ayahuasca, Doctorcito hizo un magnifico (y docto) resumen aquí

Ayahuasca and Cumbia Amazónica

Perhaps one of the most peculiar Ayahuasca songs is Vacilando con Ayahuasca, by Peruvian Cumbia pioneers Juaneco y su Combo. The Peruvian cumbia sound sprung as a distinct style in the early 60´s, when Henry (Los Destellos) Delgado took the accordion -which was the staple sound of the original Colombian Cumbia- and substituted it with the electric guitar, creating a sound that, by our standards, is reminiscing of surf music.

Soon there were regional variations of the Peruvian sound. Juaneco y Combo, together with the fantastic Los Mirlos were the major originators of the Cumbia Amazónica, also known as Cumbia de Oriente or Poder Verde, a style which appeared in the 70´s together with the first oil boom of the Peruvian Amazon. It was characterized by the incorporation of traditional dresses, as well as mythical characters and figures of amazonian lore.

Juaneco y su Combo was founded in Pucallpa in the 60s by Juan Wong Paredes. Their first LP El Gran Cacique (1970), contains the classic Vacilando con ayahuasca. A very groovy tune that would not be out of place in a Tarantino movie.... though to this day I fail to see what the sensual female moaning has to do with Ayahuasca.




Now for something truly bizarre here´s a recent video of the song. Although the original was recorded in the 70s, the band is still going strong even after 40 years and the death of some of its original members. Check out the Shipibo shirts. That´s some amazonian funkiness right there.



Yikes! I just never thought I'd see curanderos and go-go dancers in the same shot!


Via Grandes de la cumbia peruana

If you'd like to hear more of that Peruvian cumbia sound Barbes Records out of Brooklyn is putting out compilations re-issuing the classics.

Kogis, documentaries, and voluntary isolation

Early this year, while going through a Ralph Metzner Interview we recorded in 2003 my curiosity was piqued by his mention of the documentary: "From the heart of world." In Google I found the documentary, about Colombia's Kogi Indians, had been shot in 1991, broadcast by the BBC, gone on to video(released in the US by the fantastic Mystic Fire Video) and gone on to become somewhat of a lost cult classic. Never reissued, the VHS used to fetch quite outrageous prices (used to be more than $100, lately around $39)

Since the doc seemed out of my reach. I bought the book instead (reviews here, but buy it here and give back to the Kogi)

I cannot recommend the book enough. Much is amazing about the Kogi: The fact that they have managed to keep their culture alive by a practical form of voluntary isolation... while living right next one of the first places where Europeans disembarked into the Americas. The role that the "Mamas" (priest/leader/healer) play in their culture, not to mention the extreme training to become one, which includes keeping future Mamas living inside a cave, in perpetual darkness, throughout much of their childhood. During their training years they´ll never see the light of the day, while being taught every night, "concentration". Can you imagine what the world must look like after 10 years of darkness. Nothing short astounding, and that is precisely what they are being taught.

"...told me that Mamas are educated from infancy in the dark, and only allowed into the light when their education is complete, after two periods of nine years. Nine is the number required for completeness, as a foetus spends nine lunar months in the womb, and there are nine worlds. There are also characters called moros, he said, whose education continues for two more periods of nine years. These I would never meet; they live high in the Sierra, and speak only with Mamas. These are the oracles who determine ultimate policy. These creatures are the ones who have seen the approach of the end of the world. I later discovered that moro is the word for any pupil studying to be a Mama. It does seem quite possible that some students are not released into the light until they are over thirty. . . . The Kogi are profoundly ascetic, and prepare themselves for important moments by fasting, meditation and sexual abstinence; contact with anyone who is still locked into the gross physical world can, they believe, render this preparation useless. Javier's moros would be in this heightened state all their lives, and it would therefore be impossible for me ever to set eyes on them, but he suggested that they would have their eyes on me" -- pp. 77-8

The book tells the story of how the Kogi decided to break their silence to issue one last warning to "the younger brother" (that's us) how Alan Ereira was chosen to deliver that message to the world. The message itself, one of upcoming ecological apocalypse brought by the warming of the earth is all the more spooky when taking in consideration no one had told the Kogis about global warming, they observed it. I was completely fascinated by the book, and so was my gf who got it after me.

this point I went on a quest to to find more about the Kogi. First I looked for Reichel-Dolmatoffs pioneer study on the Kogi. Now *that* was a difficult book to track, by pure chance I found out it had been republished by a small-print literary magazine in Spain a decade ago. I ended up finding a copy in an appointment-only second-hand store in Madrid. The book added a whole new layer to my understanding of the Kogi, and also put a lot of things in perspective, there are many tribes who feel they live literally, at the center of creation, and see themselves holders of the world order (that old ethnocentrism), also the whole warming up and drying of the earth message that the Kogi delivered 20 years ago, and that seems so prophetic nowadays, can be as related to local weather changes caused by erosion in the Sierra de Santa Marta (already at work in the 60s) as to global circumstances. None of this makes the Kogi less extraordinary.

Then I found out a copy of the documentary could be had by donating more than $50 to The Tairona Heritage Trust, an NGO set up by the film director, Aran Ereira. I donated, and that´s how I got to see the film, which is well worth it.... and so is the cause the it supports.

Last week I received a letter form the foundation describing their purchase of large tracks of land to create an "environmental and cultural cordon" of "border towns" to literally manage the encounter between the outside world and the restricted zone they hope to have declared as Kasankwa (sacred territory) by the UNESCO.

Do donate.

Meanwhile, in a recent talk at TED, anthropologist superstar Wade Davis tells of his encounter with the Elder Borthers, and -guess what- he claims the Mama's do not spend childhoold in the dark, but isolated, working in Aluna. However, Davis wasn´t with teh Kogs but with teh Arhuacos. Here´s the video starts at 10:30. He also spoke about the Kogis in 2003 here starts at around minute 8 but the whole talk really is must.


In the last year, the wonderful Free University in the Internet has posted a full copy of the doc (along with many other wonderful things)



And the blog socially responsible films.. has followed suit which doesn´t mean you shouldn´t contribute to the cause if you can (and you can).

In spite for the obvious call to being left alone that the Kogis made at the end of the doc the story has continued, "L. Condor" a former Ford employee is putting together a documentary with a *second* older brother´s message, the prophecy of the eagle and the condor, and apparently some mamas made it to Georgetown University (!) Here's an Australian homeopath's strange story .. and a healer named Sequoya Trueblood claims to have been telepathically contacted by the Kogi

(sight)

In a more serious and worthwhile note, the French geographer Eric Julien has shot 2 more documentaries and written two books about the Kogi, has also started an NGO with the purpose of purchasing land for the Kogi

Kogis, le messages des derniers hommes (Leur histoire)
Cargado por inrees

Indeed, in spite of that the first documentary might have implied the Kogi are not completely isolated, they regularly engage in commerce and interchange, have missionaries and nuns living with them etc. In Colombia they seem to be well known. Here's a TV news clip form a recent ceremony by Kogi Mamas to cleanse the mountains of the toxicity left by FARC guerilla land mines. It was attended by Colombia´s vice-president, and Carlos Vives on of the country´s biggest pop stars. The news anchor even uses the term "younger brothers" without feeling the need to explain its meaning. Indeed "La muralla" a Kogi settlement for the benefit of tourism is in the process of being built (newsclip in Spanish). Seems like the older bother´s message has penetrated the collective unconscious (or pop culture)



It couln´t be any other way. Everything about the Kogis, from their ecological message, their poetic rejection of industrial culture, their matriarchal mythology (a goddess of creation, at last!) their voluntary isolation, etc. position them like no others to become, quite against their will, the poster tribe of all things New Age. They don't even posses all those other qualities (like penchant of warfare) that make other indigenous cultures so unconformable to westerners. They are an indigenous culture like we would like all indigenous cultures to be, pacific, spiritual, and ecological.

My recomendation? Read Ereira's book.

Ayahuasca: Shapeshifting or egotripping?

I posted a new video from a recent conference in Madrid organized by Asociación Eleusis of which I am member.

The speaker is Josep María Fericgla, a Catalonian author, anthropologist and (almost) psychologist. His work falls in the area between those two fields, he calls it ethnopsychology or cognitive anthropology. Though less known in the English speaking world Fericgla is quite an institution in Spain. He did fieldwork with Shuar shamans in Ecuador, and wrote "The dream hunters" as well as "Al trasluz de la Ayahuasca" a multidisciplinary study on Ayahuasca. On his return to Spain he began to work on finding ways to adapt what he had learned about modified states of conscious into a western context. He founded the Society of Applied Ethnopsychology where he runs a number of seminars and workshops, as well as 2 to 4 year course as a "Director-Guía de Experiencias Estructurantes Activadoras" something like: director-guide of structural activating experiences.. hard to translate. As can be seen by the language Fericgla´s tries to stay as much as possible on the scientific, non-fluffy, non new-age, approach to entheogens and the therapeutic use of altered states of consciousness.

I interviewed him in 2003, and recently bough his book "Los chamanismos a revisión" (shamanisms under revision) where he systematically disassembles most of the romantic western ideals around shamanisms (in plural, he says there is no such thing as shamanism, there are only shamanisms) Unfortunately the book hasn´t been translated to English, but I plan to post a long review of it soon, as it brings up some very interesting ideas.

Anyway, during his talk he mentioned forms of regressive and narcissistic tendencies among entheogen consumers. I was curious about this. I think his answer is very interesting.

His view on shapeshifting is, to say the least, quite unique. But he should know what he´s talking about, at this point he has more than a decade of continuous experience on the therapeutic use of altered states of consciousness.




There´s a hand-me-down idea often repeated among what McKenna called "psychedelic people" (i'd be one of them) the idea says something like: "entheogens are ego dissolvers." Though that can be sometimes true, the ego is strong, and soon finds ways around it. Hence "many people take ayahuasca and are still full of shit." -As Evgenia succinctly said in the YouTube comments.


PD I have been wondering lately how come I only seem to post negative stuff: ego tripping this, appropriation of indigenous knowledge that, fake shamans etc. Don´t I have anything positive to say about Ayahuasca?

I certainly do.

There is just so much of that already online (and in my tapes) that I figured it'd be a better contribution to bring new ideas to the debate, rather than to rehash the same old ones...

Update: A video of the whole conference (in Spanish) can be found here

The chacra diaries 6: war of the beasts

Posted part 6 of the chacra diaries. Read it here.



View form the bench



Kurt the rat, frozen on the beam

Jaguars consume ayahuasca

Most fascinating video of a jaguar eating and then reacting to caapi leaves.



Nature documentaries are notoriously staged affairs pulled together form many sources recorded at different times. Obviously part of the shot is staged, the vine itself is too perfectly placed before the camera, with the leaves just at the right height... But I´d really like to find out if this behavior has really been observed in the wild. Taking in consideration the relationship between ayahuasca and jaguars in many native Amazonian cultures the fact that jaguars would purge on Caapi vine would be -I´d say- a most significant discovery.

Any zoologists reading this who could scan the literature and confirm?

UPDATE 4/1/09: We´ve gotten confirmation that somewhere it was published that it was observed that jaguars like to sniff ayahuasca leaves.... any additional info will be much appreciated

Ayahuasca is declared cultural patrimony of Perú

This is old news by now, but very important news. The Peruvian government has declared Traditional Ayahuasca use as part of the national cultural heritage.
It really is a cause to celebrate, for it is an official recognition of the highest degree. From now on any legal discussion about Ayahuasca use that takes place in other countries will have to take this into account. It no longer is a matter of the activities of a few groups of individuals more or less underground. Ayahuasca now has official recognition at the national level.

I am including a translation of the entire official text but those with short attention span can jump directly to the paragraphs in bold.

DESIGNATION AS CULTURAL PATRIMONY OF THE NATION EXTENDED TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND TRADITIONAL USES OF AYAHUASCA AS PRACTICED BY NATIVE AMAZON COMMUNITIES.


National directorial resolution

Number 836/INC


Lima, June 24 2008-07-14


Having read Report No. 056-2008-DRECP/INC dated May 29, 2008, prepared by the Directorate of Registration and Study of Contemporary Culture in Peru:


CONSIDERING:


That Article 21 of the Political Constitution of Peru indicates that it is the function of the State to protect the Cultural Patrimony of the Nation.


That part 1, Article 2 of the Convention for the Preservation of Non-material Cultural Patrimony of the UNESCO, establishes that “it is understood that ‘Cultural Patrimony is defined as the uses, representations, expressions, knowledge and techniques—together with instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces that are inherent to them---that the communities, groups, and in some cases individuals, recognize as an integral part of their cultural patrimony’. This non-material cultural patrimony, which is transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly re-created by communities and groups, by means of their location, their interaction with nature and their history, inducing a feeling of identity and continuity and therefore contributing to promote respect toward cultural diversity and human creativity”.


That Article VII of the Preliminary Title to Law NO. 28296


- General Law on Cultural Patrimony of the Nation disposes that the National Institute of Culture is charged to register, declare and protect the Cultural Patrimony of the Nation within the confines of its responsibility;


- That part 2) of Article 1 of Title 1 of the above mentioned Law establishes that part of the Cultural Patrimony of the Nation consists of the creations of a cultural community, based upon traditions, to be expressed by individuals unilaterally or in groups, and that consensually respond to community expectations, as an expression of cultural and social identity, in addition to the values transmitted orally, such as autochthonous languages, tongues and dialects, traditional knowledge and wisdom, be it artistic, gastronomic, medicinal, technologic, folkloric or religious, the collective knowledge of peoples, and other expressions or cultural manifestations, which jointly comprise our cultural diversity;


- That National Directorial Resolution No. 1207/INC dated November 10, 2004, approved Directive No. 002-2004-INC “Recognition and declarations of active cultural manifestations as Cultural Patrimony of the Nation”;


- That it behooves the National Institute of Culture, in order to carry out its function as assigned by law, with the active participation of the community, to conduct a permanent identification of such traditional manifestations of the country that should be declared as Cultural Patrimony of the Nation;


- That by means of the proper document, the Directorate of Study and Registration of Culture in Contemporary Peru requests a declaration as Cultural Patrimony of the Nation the knowledge and traditional uses associated with Ayahuasca, and practiced by native Amazon communities, according to the Report prepared by Dona Rosa A. Giove Nakazawa, of the Takiwasi Center-Tarapoto and submitted by the Regional Office of Economic Development of the Regional Government of San Martin to the Regional Directorate of Culture of San Martin;

- That the Ayahuasca plant—Banisteriopsis caapi—is a vegetable species which garners an extraordinary cultural history, by virtue of its psychotropic properties, used in a beverage associated with a plant known as Chacruna-Psychotria viridis;

- That such plant is known by the indigenous Amazon world as a wisdom plant or plant teacher, showings initiates the very fundaments of the world and its components. Consumption of it constitutes the gateway to the spiritual world and its secrets, which is why traditional Amazon medicine has been structured around the Ayahuasca ritual at some point in their lives, indispensable to those who assume the function of privileged carriers of these cultures, be they those charged with communication with the spiritual world, or those who express it artistically.

- That the effects produced by ayahuasca, extensively studied because of their complexity, are different from those produced by hallucinogens. A part of this difference consists in the ritual that accompanies its consumption, leading to diverse effects, but always within the confines of a culturally determined boundary, with religious, therapeutic and culturally affirmative purposes.


- That available information sustains the fact that the practice of ritual ayahuasca sessions constitutes one of the basic pillars of the identity of the Amazon peoples, and that the ancestral use in traditional rituals, warranting cultural continuity, is closely connected with the therapeutic attributes of the plant;

- That what is sought is the protection of traditional use and sacred character of the ayahuasca ritual, differentiating it from Western uses out of context, consumerist, and with commercial objectives;

- That the Manager, the Director of Registration and Study of Culture in Contemporary Peru, and the Director of the Office of Legal Affairs, being cognizant of the above information;

- In conformity with the dispositions of Law No. 28296, “General Law of the Cultural Patrimony of the Nation” and Supreme Decree No. 017-2003-ED, which approves the By-Laws of the Organization and Operation of the National Institute of Culture.

ITS IS RESOLVED:

Sole Article.


To declare as CULTURAL PATRIMONY OF THE NATION, the knowledge and traditional uses of Ayahuasca practiced by the native Amazon communities, as a warranty of cultural continuity.

Be it registered, communicated, and published.

JAVIER UGAZ VILLACORTA

Manager of the National Directorate

National Institute of Culture

The Devil's Doctor

"The superstitious and sometimes harmful credulity of religious tradition can certainly be considered a poison. But for many of us moderns, hurtling towards a chilly posthumanism, a draught of the poetic and cosmic imagination that feeds religious credulity can wipe away the pain. And even, potentially, heal it. For though skepticism and empirical reason have cleared away many cobwebs of theological error, we are all swimming in the toxic sludge these cultural solvents have left in their wake. The alchemist can envision the gold growing in the sludge; the realist only marvels at the mess we've made, and turns up the collar of his coat."

Erik Davis here talking about this book



Why this post? It has everything to do with everything

The Chacra Diaries Pt 5

Posted part 5 of the chacra diaries, read it here


That was my toilet




Palos and toés

Ayahuasca tourism vs. traditional uses, and an online collaborative documentary

When I was invited last year to give a talk a the 3rd Amazonian Shamanism Conference I had no idea what I'd talk about. I had been invited because Jimmy Weiskopf recommened me to Alan Shoemaker, and he had liked some of the chacra diaries so I figured I'd talk a bit about amazonian dietas, a bit about the documentary project, and I'd use the chance to see if I could find people who'd like to help in a collaborative online documentary we've been thinking about for some time. Kind of like Echo chamber project, but different.

The project

The problem we have is that: 1- We have picked a huge topic (which keeps on growing! entheogens, traditional medicine, the link between health and spirituality, the colonization of the Americas and the new cultures that resulted form it, etc etc) and 2- The idea of trying to compress all that material into a standard-size 45-minute documentary, full of soundbite-size statements runs a real danger of over-simplification. You can't explain uses/misuses/abuses of ayahuasca, mention the churches, delve a bit into traditional medicine, what is happening to curanderos and what that says about western culture (and the failings of scientific medicine!) biopiracy, cultural appropriation... and of course reflect a bit on the part of us that actually gets touched by ayahuasca, and what that says about what it means to be human.

See? It doesn't fit in 1 hour, not without making a joke of everything.

So we started playing with a different idea, a sort of gigantic online video archive where we would dump all the tapes, and people could consult at their own pace, without middle men.

But how would people navigate around hours of video?

We needed: an indexing system, a tagging system, and a navigational interface.

Basically all the interviews would be transcribed (word by word), and all videos indexed/tagged (by topic). It would be just like the index at the back of a book, where you can find where certain topics are mentioned and jump to that page. I imagined an interactive index of all the videos, so that people interested on a certain topic could find all the interviews/parts where that topic was mentioned and go there. The interface could even queue the video segments for viewing one after another.

Once you have that built, you have a system to generate movies automatically. You are doing what an editor does with the raw video material (well, almost), but dynamically, on-the-fly. Any path can be transversed though the set of raw materials. So why not predefine a few? We could make a couple of documentaries (the one hour version, the five hour version, etc) and leave them as preset "paths" through the archive, also as starting points. Did you like what someone said during the doc? Would you like to hear the rest? You could jump out of the path, see as much as you wanted of the original interview, and then return. Would you like to see who else talked about that topic just mentioned? You could, etc.


That is more or less the new plan, it's a long project, but I am in no hurry. I see this pretty much as a life-long project. And I believe someone will program a platform that does exactly this sooner or later. It doesn't seem too complicated, basically it's a database that has tape numbers, and uses timecodes to mark in and out for transcribed text (word by word, very good for subtitles later) and in and out time codes for topic and/or tags. It should be fairly easy to give those time codes to a player (quicktime etc) and it would queue them for you. If no one gets around to do it I guess we will.

Sounds interesting? I am looking for volunteer programmers, designers, and very importantly transcribers. I need people to help me put into writing the dozens of hours of interviews I have with some of the most interesting people in the ayahuasca world. Including Benny Shanon, Johnatan Ott, Jacques Mabit, Luis Eduardo Luna, Ralph Metzner, Richard Yensen, Antonio Escohotado, Josep Maria Fericgla, dozens of curanderos, mestres and members of the 3 main Brazilian Ayahuasca churches, psychologists who use the brew to get people off drugs, former drug addicts, and a host of people from all walks of life whose lives have been touched by their encounter ayahuasca, plus rituals, masses, preparations, healing sessions, seminars, detox centers... the list goes on and on.

If you are interested in ayahuasca and you can type fast and you will probably enjoy the work, the interviews are really well worth it.



Back to the talk

That was more on less on my mind for the talk. At the Conference I met some very good people, but in Iquitos there is also a side of Ayahuasca that I actively try to avoid: Cunning locals looking for a quick buck (chamán + charlatán = charlamán) and/or sincere but (in my opinion) misguided westerners of new age-ish leanings.

Now, if you are interested entheogens chances are you too have what others would describe as new age-ish leanings, I certainly do, but some people are just more new age than others, I guess, and some people are just too new age for me. Which is normal, everybody knows somebody who they think "goes too far" into whatever. In life you'll always meet people you click with and people you can´t get along with. Attitudes you approve and attitudes you disapprove. It is perfectly normal (actually it is unavoidable) it happens in any field of human activity. There is no way out of it.

...And certainly in this world everybody should be able to pursue their own individual bliss as they see fit.

But that week in Iquitos I saw people that in my opinion were not properly prepared, make a farce, a theater play, out of something I respect and love very much, the work and practices of Amazonian curanderismo. All in order to feel better about themselves in front of people who didn't know any better (and get some of their money.) It wasn't necessarily in the conference, there was plenty of worthwhile people there, but some of it was around it, and that mix of the good and the bad is certainly an integral part of Iquitos ayahuasca scene.

So when the time came for my talk I though I'd try to clarify a few misconceptions that seemed rampant in the western-ayahuasca-seekers world (of which I am undeniably part of) Not to tell people what to think, but just communicate a few facts I found useful when facing "amazonian shamanism". Basically I wanted to:

1-Talk about how our western interest (read money) in shamanism is changing it from what it was, to what we would like to be.

2-Put shamans/curanderos first in their proper context:
a) As traditional doctors who practice a form of *medicine*, neither saints (they can be very flawed) nor proper gurus or spiritual guides (that is a different job, from a different culture) and
b) as *professionals* of their field, the result of years of training, not a few weeks or month long "courses" (This weekend-course format is perhaps the most defining factor of all things new age: they all seem to take place in the form of "courses")

3-Ask for some help with the doc project.

Below is a short reduction of the talk



the full talk can be seen here.

You be the judge as to how well I managed to get points 1 and 2 across. As to point 3 I was almost a complete failure. Only Susan offered help (thanks Susan!) She's helped me quite a bit already and I don't like to bother volunteers in excess. So, if you'd like to help with the project write to





If you wouldn't like to help but are interested on the topic of the appropriation of indigenous knowledge I recommend

Plastic Shamans and Astroturf Sun Dances

Selling Native Spirituality

We do not have shamans

Declaration of War Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality

Newagefrauds has some updated forums full of denunciations, they take a very hard line and their positions are controversial even among some Native Americans. Indeed the whole topic is full of heated arguments Here used to be another popular forum, but the person who was running got tired of all the threats she received and decided to shut it down. Some of her parting words were:

"Let me make my position clear - I am not against non-Indians participating in ceremony. I know that puts me at odds with a probably rather large portion of the Native community. But if you are going to participate - do it in a safe and respectful manner. Please - wait until you've been invited by a member from a legitimate community. Don't pay, and look out for a few simple things that will let you know if you supposed Medicine Man/Woman is genuine or not. Do they speak the language of the people they claim to be from? Do they do these ceremonies back home for the people they claim to be from? Do they ask for money upfront - either as a "love offering" or any other "suggested donation."

I guess she meant something like this crap $90 down and $5 a month will get you adopted as a "Native American Medicine Man or Woman"

Utterly shameless (or shameon)